Rocky a Puggle

Well,
Dad will be home most of the day thank heavens because its icky outside. I know we need rain, but jeepers how come it all comes at once??? In Rocky's world, we would have rain in the evening or early morning. Then it would dry up instantly and the sun would come out and the birds and it would be soooooo nice and I could spend the whole day outside just lolling around, maybe chew on a bone and talk to the squirrels.

I see all my pupper friends chase the squirrels. I don't! We have black squirrels, brown squirrels, red squirrels, gray squirrels, and they let me share the peanuts that Mom and Dad toss out. Actually I don't know if they share them......... but I always get some. Mom was cracking up the other night. I was laying in the sun chewing a chew and one black squirrel was digging near my front feet and another took a short cut over my back when he was running for the tree. They don't bother me at all. NOW the cats make me mad.....

Cats are fine, but why do they keep trying to catch my friends the chipmonks?
Dad made a sort of house for them, he pile bricks two high around the bird feeder, so they have lots of little holes for them to run in and out of and this darn cat keeps coming and pawing underneath to get at them. I bark and bark and he leaves, Darn Cat!!

Mom says Cats are fine, but she doesn't want them hunting our backyard either. So here I go back outside to patrol the yard again.

I know Mom is a good cook, everyone says so. She made Chili too and some went to Mr. Steve and the rest in in the freezer for Mr. Andy for later.

Dad went and picked up Mom's new oven. Oh boy is she excited. It has a lot of stuff on it. She wanted a new one sooooooo bad.

It has been so nice out I have been outside almost every day except when it was raining. Lots of sun and wind! Boy do we have a lot of wind!!!

Dad started to put he oven in yesterday, but won't finish till today, I guess he has to move it around and get it even, wonder why???

I don't know what even means but I guess it has to be done. Mom fixed pork chops on the grill for dinner. We spent a few hours raking leaves after I helped her scrub the floors...

She sure works hard! Dad too, me I just relax. Dad hung a picture that Mr. Jim sent her. Boy is it nice... Mom says it looks just like where they used to camp, I think I said that before.

Tracker the pupper across the street is really starting to bark a lot. Mr Steve keeps him outside on a rope all day until late at night. Mom said he is so loud because he is a Beagle. I think I am part Beagle tooooooooo

Mom won't let me bark like that though...... she doesn't like me barking a lot. I have been home all day by myself and Mom said Dad works tomorrow and the next day so I will be home by myself. I hate it. I love people......

Dad finally came home just before Mom, he said, we are getting new bedroom furniture Rocky. Why?????? I don't think Mom wanted the new furniture but Dad usually gets what he wants.

Time for my walk. No truck rides today. DARN!!!! But at least everyone is home now.

I helped Dad yesterday, we went downstairs and found winter hats for Dad in a box. Wonder why they are in a box. Maybe thats why he wasn't wearing them? Anyhow, we brought up a bunch so Dad's head wouldn't get cold.

Mom and Dad got the most wonderful present in the mail yesterday.
Mr. Jim, who raises Irish Setters, sent a beautiful painting that HE did for Mom and Dad. Dad and Mom both had tears in their eyes. No one has ever done anything like that for them before. Dad and I are going to hang it today in family room.

What a wondeful thing for him to do and its beautiful. Mom and Dad said he is really talented and the painting reminds them of places they camped when my human brothers and sisters were younger. They had puppers then too, but I wasn't born yet.

Dad and me are going over to see Mr. Andy later. Mom made a whole bunch of food for him and his family because he had an operation and just got home from the hospital.

Yesterday was soooooo fun. Mom and Dad are going to celebrate my Forever birthday, the day I came to live with them on March 1. But I really am 1 year old. I just have to learn not to bark at everything.

I was eavesdropping last night and Mom and Dad were talking about how good I was and what a lot of fun I am and how much they love me. Gee it made me feel good. I am going to try really really hard not to bark so much.

Mom is going to put a dinner together for Mr. Andy and his family when she gets home tonight. He had to have emergency surgery and Miss Marla works and they have at least 3 teenage boys and sometimes depending on what day it is there are 4.

Mom is putting together chicken thighs and legs over a mix of rice, cream soup water and onions, you cover it up and bake it for about 1 1/2 hours and you don't peek at it and bingo its done. MAGIC.

Guess what!!! Last night Mom and Dad were eating Lamb Shanks for dinner and I was in my house just like I am supposed to be, when they were done eating, I came out and it was nice outside and Dad said. Want to get your collar on and go out little man? So they put my collar on and all of a sudden Mom had my little rug on the walk. OOOOOPPPPPSSSSS something special is going on, I only get the little rug once in awhile. WOW. Dad gave me a great bone!!!! I guess it was left over from dinner. MMMMMMMMMMMM

Boy is Mom a good cook!! It was delicious, then I wiped off my face and hands, actually Mom did and we all went for a short walk, got home and all three of us cuddled on the couch. Mom and Dad read and I just let them pet me and love me. How fun!!!

Dad scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed. Mom didn't say a word, just tskd tskd once in awhile, Dad called Uncle Dave, he is a chemist. He said, elbow grease and lots of it. Hot water with a superconcentrate of soap, then scrub scrub scrub.

Believe it or not, Dad finally got 90% of it off. Bet next time he uses the tin foil..

I can't wait till he barbques again, boy does it smell good!!!!!!

Mom and Dad ordered a new oven. Mom is sooooo excited. The one she has isn't cooking right and she was angry when her pie didn't cook.

SO now they have new shades coming, the kind that come down from the top and up from the bottom and a new oven, and they are getting the bedroom painted and buying two new dressers.

Wow its going to be a whole new house....

Meanwhile, the weather is weird. It was cold and rainy the last two days and today is supposed to be 70.

Yesterday Dad had to work and then go to a meeting so Mom, made burgers, gravy and mashed potatoes, for tonight. Then she made braised Lamb shanks for tomorrow night, I guess its one of Dads most favorite things. Then she put together a ham and lentil soup because Dad has to work two days in a row.

PLUS she has the stuff ready to make oven chicken for Mr. Andy and his family. He is due home from the hospital soon. Also she is making Chili for them, I wish I could have people food.

Mom told me I am 1 year old today, but we are going to celebrate my birthday on March 1, which is the day I came to my forever home!!

Ok, so Dad decided to l isten to Uncle Bob and do a boneless pork loin. (Thats what he called it, all I know is no bone in the roast, no bone for Rocky) sad isn't it?

Anyway, so he fires up the new barbque and in goes the charcoal and then in the pan that he puts under the food instead of water he put apple cider and juice . mmmmmmmmmmm smells wonderful.
Pretty sure he had hickory wood int here too.

Mom came home from work and said, Oh my Goodness smells like heaven. She got coleslaw out, set the table and Dad said should be done in about an hour, Yea said Mom, lets Take Rock for his walk.

Dad was kind of concerned because he hadn't seen the temp go up much so when we were walking we saw Miss Liz and she has the same kind of smoker Barbque as Dad. Miss Liz said, I know what you need and she handed Dad a bag of Hardwood Charcoal. It burns hotter and longer she said. Oh she is so smart. Mom and Dad just love her, me I adore her, she has two black labs, Lucy and Polly and I love them too.

We went back home and Dad added the new charcoal and presto. The barbque got hotter in before you know it, off the roast came. Oh the odor was terrific...... mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

I didn't get any, but Mom and Dad ate and ate.

Soooooooo next day, Dad starts to clean the barbque and oh oh
All the cider apple juice is stuck to the bowly thingy in the smoker/barbqe that it boiled in. Mom wanted to know WHY Dad didn't line it with the heavy duty tinfoil we had in the other room. UMMMMMM forgot says Dad.
Mom pointed out the first thing it tells you is to LINE the bowly thing.

What another nice day today was. Really hot again. Sunny and nice. Dad and Mom are trying to get a card signed for Mr. Andy, his house was the one the subdivision Pigroast picnic was at. So we walked and walked getting people to sign the card.

I saw some new people it was fun, I spent almost all day outside, which was fine with me. Nice..... Besides Mom said once the weather starts to turn, it will be cold and I really really like this weather.

Guess I spoke to soon, wow what a difference today is. Mom had a coat on this morning and was I surprised when we went out! Its not really cold, no frost or anything but sure colder than it has been. BRRR

Dad cut down another small tree in the back yard and its still summer!! 88 today and its getting humid. Mom said maybe we should turn on the air and Dad said no, I have it all covered up...... Oh....... Guess I will just hope Mom gets out my sprinkler again.

Mom and Dad had tuna fish steaks for dinner, I didn't get any, but I did get........ A BIG SOUP BONE!!!

Man o Man was it good. I chewed and chewed on it. Finally Dad and Mom made me come in to go to bed, so I had to leave it on the front porch.. I am not allowed to have it in th house.

Saturday................
After breakfast and my walk this morning Mom was going to vacuum and dust so she put my collar on me and told me I could go out and I did and found my bone!!!

Aren't my parents cool. They always make sure I have everything I need and then they give me treats. I LOVE THEM

Wow Dad and I went to the store two times and worked and worked outside.
Dad said next year we are going to have a new lawn AND a new deck in the back. How cool.....

More leaves are falling but not much color and boy is it warm. I guess we are almost 30 degrees higher than we are supposed to be. It is supposed to be 86 today!! Saturday and Sunday near 90. Man o Man.

Dad said people are going to the football games in shorts :D that sounds funny. Wonder if the players get to wear shorts too????

Dad is home ALL DAY!! He said we are getting my nails cut and when Mom gets home, I get a surprise..... Wonder what it is... Darn I hate to wait.

Gee they never came last night to fix the tree... Dad said they are coming today, hmmmm. Nice out though, sunny and warm and Mom said last night that it should be kinda sorta cool.

It cools down at night, but I don't think that is what she means...

Dad has to go to work today but Mom will be home later. Wonder why they can't both be off at the same time???

They came today, two young men, they were in the driveway when Mom got home, they couldn't reach the top of the tree where it had broken, so they used a curved thing with teeth!! on the end of a long long stick and they sawed it off so it looked better. Then they borrowed tape from Mom and taped a can to the end of the long stick with a spray can on top and sprayed the fresh cut.

He actually told Mom he was sorry...... I don't think it helped Mom much, he just works on trees and it wasn't his tree, but at least saying your sorry helps a little I guess.

Dad says we have a lot of work to do tomorrow, so I guess I better go to bed.